Self-Spotting

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There’s a very good article titled Self-Spotting in the May/June 2023 issue of The Canadian Amateur magazine. The author Tom Haavisto VE3CX notes that in CW and digital mode contests their CQs are spotted automatically by skimmers. For phone contests, it’s a different matter.

Haavisto writes, “The difference is noticeable for phone contests. There is no phone skimmer so spots need to come from people who are manually generating spots.”

The ARRL allows self-spotting for all its contests. However, it’s important to check whether individual Provincial or State QSO Parties allow self-spotting for phone contests. The Arkansas QSO Party, for example, does allow self-spotting.

N1MM self-spotting

Canadian Prairies QSO Party

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The HF bands were a challenge with 40-meters having a S8-S9 noise problem. 20-meters was good but 15 & 10 not so.

I could only spend a short amount of time on Saturday because of other commitments. Made four SSB contacts on 20-meters. Heard a number of other stations but could not contact.

One of the VE5 stations turned his beam to better hear me. He then mentioned he would swing it SE to work the richer territory of the northeast USA. Clearly Canadian amateurs in BC would have to work harder to make contacts.

My humble log of four SSB contacts.

Recent Contest Activity – VE7JKZ

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Not much that’s for sure, and when I have been on propagation has been awful with geomagnetic disturbances. With 20/15m parallel dipoles I’m limited to those bands until my new antenna is operational.

The JA dx contest was a few weeks ago and it was all I could do to make dozen or so Qs. Sent in the log – who knows maybe I’ll get a certificate for something or another.

Then there was the Florida QSO party. Another disaster and all I could do was make a couple of dozen Qs. Sent in the log for that one as well.

This weekend was the 7QP but I didn’t hear much so spent the weekend working on my new antenna.

We are on the upswing for cycle 25 so things will get better that’s for sure.